February 16, 2015
Sex Offenders in the Church
By J. Robert Ross The minister at my church recently refused to allow Sam (not his real name), a convicted sex offender in my treatment program, to attend services at our church. I understood his fear, but I cannot agree with his decision to turn Sam away. I suspect his reaction, and the reaction of many others, is motivated by anxiety rooted in several misconceptions about sex offenders, their offenses, and their victims. A common misconception, aided and abetted by the media, puts all offenders in the same boat. Anyone convicted of a sex offense is automatically labeled a “sexual
